Far From Perfect
by writer1415
Summary: "If we fail, we fail together."


**Hey guys! This has been in my kind for awhile and I finally got I written it out! Leave your thoughts and comments please because they are appreciated! Also I don't own any of the characters from madam secretary. Enjoy!**

"Stevie.. Shh it's okay baby," Elizabeth said trying to soothe her daughter. It was 1 in the morning and Henry was out at a gala for the professors at the college. He should of been home soon but Elizabeth was on the verge of her own breakdown.

Stevie kept scream and crying. Moving her arms and her legs that Elizabeth couldn't keep ahold of her.

"Stevie, are you hungry? I don't know what you want." Elizabeth asked but Stevie didn't give.

She cried and screamed like she was hurt. Elizabeth checked her temp but she was fine. She tried to breast feed but she wouldn't latch. She tried a bottle and she looked away.

Elizabeth looked at Stevie in her arms crying tears streaming down her face. How was she not able to soothe her own daughter. All these thoughts were going through her mind. Was she hurt? Was something not visible wrong with her? Or was Stevie just not wanting her mother? Just as these thoughts went through her head she started to tear up herself. Tears streamed down her own face. Elizabeth felt like for the first she was failing like a mother.

Just as the tears started to drip from her chin the door opened.

Henry opened the door to see his wife standing in the living room in tears while their daughter was screaming. He felt a rush of anxiety run through him thinking something was really wrong. Henry ran over to the both.

"Elizabeth what's wrong baby," he asked while rubbing her back and kissing her forehead.

"Henry I'm a horrible mother."

"Baby that's nonsense, you're an amazing mother. Here give me Stevie," Henry said while Elizabeth gave him Stevie. As soon as she let go of Stevie the real tears started coming and heavily. She placed her hands on faced an bawled. Henry didn't know what to do. Stevie was still screaming and crying and he needed to comfort his wife as well.

"Elizabeth, honey, look at me. Go up stairs and lay down. I'll be up there soon okay. Let me get Stevie down and I'll be up there. Go lay down and close your eyes. I'll be up there as soon as I can, I love you," Henry said with comfort. Elizabeth had opened her teary blue eyes and listened. She walked up the stairs feeling defeated still crying.

"Okay, Stevie come on baby. You're okay baby."

Henry bounced her up and down, walked around the house, and finally after 15 minutes Stevie quit crying and was calm.

Henry took her to the rocker in her room and rocked her. Soon enough Stevie was asleep. Henry got up and placed her in the crib turning on the baby monitor.

He closed the door quietly and he went up stairs. When he walked into their bedroom what he saw broke his heart. Elizabeth was crawled up holding a pillow crying silently on his side of the bed.

"Oh babe, come her," Henry said as he walked to the bed and sat down. She crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her head into his neck and cried.

"Shh honey it's okay. Elizabeth will you look at me," Henry asked trying to get her to talk.

She lifted her head and Henry pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Tell me what happened," Henry said while wiping her tears.

"All the sudden she just got fussy, so I tried to feed her. First I tried to breastfeed her and then she didn't latch. I tried a bottle but she just looked away. I checked her temperature and she was fine. She started to scream and cry. She wailing her arms and I couldn't calm her at all. I felt... I felt like a horrible mother, like I'm failing already for her Henry. She isn't even 2 months old and I can't help her," Elizabeth said quietly, tears starting to stream again. She turned her head away feeling like Henry would accept her for what she felt.

"Elizabeth look at me, you are not a terrible mother. Don't ever say that. We are still trying to learn how to become parents let alone how to soothe a child. We aren't perfect babe, and we never will be," Henry said holding Elizabeth's face, "We are gonna be okay though, we are in this together. If we fail, we fail together. Okay?"

Elizabeth smiled a little and shook her head. She moved her hand and glided through Henry's hair.

"Thank you, for being in this with me," she spoke silently but heard by him. She grabbed his faced and kissed him softly.

Henry ran his hands up and down her back pulling off her sweatshirt, leaving her bare. Henry pulled back.

"You're exhausted. Let's rest. Tomorrow is a new day for us to become better parents," Henry said as he moved her to his side so he could undress.

He hoped back into bed with his sweats and held Elizabeth tight.

"I love you Henry, I love you," as her eyes slipped shut.

Henry kissed her head. "I love you too babe, more than anything."

Henry watched her sleep for a little while thinking of their life together. He gave her one last kiss goodnight before falling to sleep himself.

In the morning, Elizabeth awoke to find Henry gone. She stretched and rubbed her eyes and then saw them walk through the door.

"Someone wants to say good morning," Henry said bringing in Stevie. She was wide awake with her eyes wide open and smiling.

Elizabeth grabbed Henry's shirt and pulled on before taking Stevie.

"Good morning sweetheart," Elizabeth said, then smiled. Henry sat in bed next to them running his hand over Stevie's head.

"Feeling better this morning," Henry asked.

"Yes, thank you. Thank you for being back bone sometimes. I just get so emotional and make everything so hard."

"No you didn't babe, you were acting like any other mom would act like. It's normal for our child to scream."

Elizabeth laughed, "So you get her the next time she is screaming her lungs out."

Henry smiled, "Yes, I'll get her the next time she is screaming," kissing Stevie on the head first and then Elizabeth on the lips. He grabbed her face. "I love you, forever."

Elizabeth leaned into him, their noses touching. "I'll love you too forever, and more.."


End file.
